Chard Crossed Lovers

You know, being a lover of all things green, it really pains me that Swiss Chard and I didn’t really hit it off.

Sure, I consider myself a happy person most of the time, but this defeat lingers in my mind. It haunts me in my sleep.

Perhaps, the Swiss Chard’s arrival in this week’s CSA is a sign. Perhaps, the battle has been fought, but the war is not over.

Eric took one look at the Chard last night and he said, ‘Well, I guess your lips WILL be touching chard again.’ and he broke into a laughter so evil, I get chills just thinking about it. I took a piece of chard and hit him with it.

For those of you who don’t know me very well, I am a Taurus and I am as stubborn as we are described. I do not accept defeat and I am starting to think that Swiss Chard is a Taurus as well. We are butt heads.

I knew that I couldn’t let Swiss Chard out of my life just yet. It’s bright green, crinkly, and radiant leaves call out to me for some unfinished business.

So, I did what any girl looking for a Swiss Chard recipe would do and I headed over to Choosing Raw. If you have not visited this website, you really should. Gena is not only a dear friend of mine, but she is a fabulous writer, super helpful, and she whips up some amazing recipes, including Banana Soft Serve. I rest my case.

Directions: Place all ingredients into food processor except paprika and cucumber. Pulse until just combined (you want to leave it a tiny bit chunky). Remove from processor and stir in chopped cucumber or celery. Sprinkle with Paprika and another small dusting of Herbamare. Serve in a wrap, on a salad, or with crackers. Serves 4-6.

My mother-in-law got me hooked on this Herbamare a couple years ago and it seriously changed my life.

I had to make some modifications to Gena’s recipe based on what ingredients I had, so it didn’t come out tasting like tuna overly so, but it was still really delicious! Addicting I might say.

I didn’t have pickles or pickle juice, but I tried my best to make a pickle juice by using apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and onion powder. It gave the salad a bit of a bite. I would still recommend using pickles + pickle juice if you can though. I also didn’t have miso.

This raw + vegan tuna salad would be excellent on crackers or on toast. I can’t wait to try it out with different things!

Swiss Chard is a bit hard to wrap because the leaves crack very easily, but I managed even though it was a big mess (read: stubborn).

I made two wraps using about 1/4 cup of the tuna salad on each along with chopped veggies.

I actually was really surprised because the Swiss Chard didn’t taste that bad to me this time. It was actually really mild tasting. Perhaps, I like it better raw when the smell doesn’t over power me as much?

I have experimented on and off with raw food recipes over the past year and I have enjoyed most of them. I find that summer is a great time to experiment with raw food because you don’t have to turn on the stove and the meals are often refreshing and energizing. I tend to crave more uncooked meals in the summer, which is why you have seen lots of those on the blog lately.

Tonight’s question- Have you ever experimented with raw food recipes or would you try some out? Did you come across any that you love in particular? Do share! We could all use a little less oven in this heat…or should I say a little less heat in our oven!

Mmmm, this looks delicious! I have always loved the idea of collard wraps but it’s great to hear it works with swiss chard as well. What else came in the CSA this week? I just bought a half share from Plan B so I get my first deliver next week… I’m so excited!

My shuffle just flaked out on me recently too — then came back on three days later. It flaked out again, and returned again in another couple of days. The problem? Moisture. I guess my sweat + my shuffle are not good for each other. A good trick is to store the shuffle in dry rice to suck up the moisture – maybe that’ll get it working again?

I’m surprised to discover someone who doesn’t actually like chard! I love the strong flavor of it – to me, it has more “personality” than romaine or spinach. Great idea turning raw leaves into a wrap! If the chard in my garden ever decides to reach maturity, I might have to try that myself!

I LOVE eating raw foods as much as I can–I even have an entire “RAW” category in my blog recipe index! I thnk I have too many favorites to name, but raw sushi, raw berry sorbet, LaRaw Bars (my version of Lara Bars), raw beet salad. . . and so much more! The latest thing I made is a Crazy Simple Kale Salad–raw, of course. I’m just like you–I adore raw kale, collard and chard, but am less impressed when cooked (with chard, anyway–still like kale and collards). Your wraps look beautiful! :)

I’m glad you and chard are getting along! Sometimes it isn’t love at first sight, but maybe you will have a more enduring love with chard. I love it, as well as any kind of green. You should try chard wraps with veggies inside and peanut dipping sauce. So good!

The chard looks beautiful! The recipe looks delicious as well. I try to stay at least 75% raw every day but I don’t really venture much out of simple whole fruits, veggies, and green smoothies except for raw sweet treats. I’ve had a few main-dish failures in the past but I’ve been trying to find new exciting things to try out for sure! Just need to find ones that work for me, previous attempts used lots of different oils and vinegars and I’ve realized those aren’t really my thing.

Toast the pine nuts over medium heat. Remove from pan. Heat some olive oil in the skillet (it should be pretty hot by this point) and cook the garlic for about 30 seconds. Add the stem with a little bit of water (about 1/2 cup) (I add water, otherwise everything sticks to the bottom of my pan) and cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add the leaves of the chard, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pine nuts and raisins, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add the vinegar, cover and cook for 1-2 minutes. That’s it, it’s very simple, most of the bitterness cooks out and the raisins make it sweet. That’s the only way I can eat chard or kale.

If you don’t like the stems, just omit that step. I cook the stem since most of the nutrients are there, and they’re so brightly colored (on the rainbow one of course!). I got this recipe from Alicia Silverstone’s book.

No problem. I have never liked greens and when I got her cookbook and saw the recipe I decided to give it a try and I’m glad that I did. I have a thyroid problem, and uncooked dark leafy greens can inhibit thyroid function (so I don’t juice them), but I know that they’re so loaded with so many nutrients (Superfood – yeah!) that I wanted to incorporate them in my diet. My mom used to make kale when I was young, and all I can say is yuck! I tried cooking them when I became an adult, and still yuck! When I tried this recipe, I was so surprised that I barely tasted any of the bitterness, and the raisins bring in enough sweet to make it really yummy. The recipe in the cookbook calls for collards, but I’ve used kale and swiss chard and it comes out really yummy either way. I just have to add about 1/2-3/4 cup of water to the pan when I start cooking the greens, or everything burns on the bottom of the pan.

Hahaha. I’m sorry, but I look at that and all I can think of is Passover when we wrap haroset (SO yum) or horseradish (my Dad grates it himself – with his face all wrapped up in bandanas like an old time bandit) in romaine lettuce for part of the Seder. We all watch my Dad’s face turn bright red as he stoically chews on, then gulps down an entire glass of water. A few years ago his grandson said “I’m the man!” and his granddaughter retorted “Saba [grandpa] is the MAN!”

I love using swiss chard as a wrap. Usually de-vein mine and then steam it to make it more pliable. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is filled with raw grated carrots and beets and cooked quinoa. I fold them like little burritos/spring rolls then dip them into a homemade peanut sauce (peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, chili flakes, sesame oil, a touch of honey/agave). Delicious : )

Sorry for the confusion! I use about 2 – 3 lbs (stems & leaves). I really does make a lot. However, I have it as a side dish. If I was just cooking for myself (like tonight) I will stir fry it with some tofu, mushrooms, and red peppers. Endless add-in possibilities!!

My mp3 player stopped at mile 4 of my marathon in June!!! Talk about being bummed. But you know what? It felt good to run without music. I got to hear the people cheering, the birds chirping, dogs barking, kids screaming, the wind in my hair, my breathing and my feet hitting the ground. It felt exhilerating!

Your photos are so beautiful–did you decide to put some of them on Etsy? Sorry if I missed you announcing that.

I’ve been experimenting with raw foods now since March and absolutely love it. I was always a great vegetarian “cook”, but I couldn’t bake to save my life. Since I’ve been “raw un-baking” some delicious dessert treats, I can’t seem to get enough (even my husband asks for them all the time now!) My most recent success was using our own blueberries and making a Raw, Vegan Blueberry Cobbler from Jennifer Cornbleet’s recipe in her book “Raw Foods for 1 or 2 people”. Needless to say, I’m glad I doubled the recipe by my husband, my mother, and my father are begging for more :)

I agree that it is easier to eat raw in the summer. :) I’ve been eating mostly raw since June, but I’m sure come October, I’ll be ready for some warm vegan comforts :)

My hubby made ‘actual’ tuna salad for his lunch today. I thought hmmm that is something I haven’t had in a while, but it can be so unhealthy. I love your sunflower seed tuna salad. I might have to give that a try over the weekend. Thanks :-D

Keeping my fingers crossed on HLS ticket. I really should have secured a ticket earlier in the game, instead of chancing it.

I eat mostly raw year-round, but I especially love eating raw in the summer! First, because there’s so much amazing seasonal produce, and second, because it’s a lot more fun to whip up food when the oven and stove aren’t increasing the sweltering factor of my kitchen :)

One of my favourite raw dessert recipe books is by Ani Phyo – Ani’s Raw Food Desserts. Most of the recipes are super simple, and more importantly, super delicious. And my all-time favourite non-dessert raw recipe is a simple avocado-kale salad. Yum!

Good for you on giving that veg a second chance! I’m not a big fan of chard personally because I find it so bitter. The same goes with Kale. I am getting a blender this Friday so hopefully I can make some green monsters with those greens!

Girl, when you said you were a taurus, I knew EXACTLY where you were coming from. I can very much relate to the stubborness we are known for. Anywho, I’m not a huge fan of swiss chard, either, but maybe that’s because I tried it cooked, too. It seems like most greens are more mild raw. Where do you get your Hermamare? I really want some but it’s almost $10 at the one store I found it at. Any tips?

Have a lovely day!
xox

P.S. Gena’s sunshine burgers are out of this world amazing. If you can, I would recommend trying them as your next raw (or Choosing raw) adventure (she has both raw and cooked versions.)

I always ask for chard at the veggie juice bar. Not sure why…I just like saying shaaaaaard. I don’t mind the flavor but I think I’m just a lover of all veggie flavors. I’ve been putting kale in my smoothies this week and I love it.

The chard wraps look delicious! I bought the cookbook Raw Food Revolution back in March to try some new recipes for a cleanse, and I really love the Liquid Gold Dressing recipe. It’s an odd flavor combo at first glance, but so good.

I’ve found chard to be one of the mildest raw greens to put in smoothies, especially with cacao. I’m not a fan of cooked greens, though.

I love mock tuna! I have a recipe on my blog when I did a Gabriel Cousens trial, and it was strangely addicting! I wrapped it in nori sheets. I definitely want to try Gena’s version! I’m craving it all over again. I’m glad you decided to try it because it got me interested in it again.

It’s better with lacinato kale, but works with chard, too. Remove thick stems, roll leaves tightly into a cigar shape and slice into thin ribbons. Toss with the zest and juice of one lemon (or two small ones) and drizzle with olive oil. Cover and let stand at room temperature for an hour. Serve topped with grated pecorino romano cheese, nutritional yeast, or even sesame seeds. So good!

I was definitely not a fan of chard the first time I tried it, either, but it did grow on me. This looks like a great way to use chard, and the tuna salad looks especially delicious! Have you ever tried a garbanzo bean based tuna salad?

Swiss chard is one of my favorite vegetables ever! You can do so much with it. I wish I had recipes to share in my blog, but by the time I started, chard season had come and gone. Did you get all green/white chard or did you happen to get any rainbow chard as well? A few ways I enjoy chard: thinly sliced in ribbons as a base for salad (instead of lettuce), finely shredded and sauteed down alongside caramelized onions and roasted garlic on a pizza (SO GOOD!), used as a wrap for all kinds of veggies, tofu, tacos, etc. Enjoy your CSA!

I too find I like chard better raw. One day I was desperate and hungry and wrapped a piece of tofu in some nori, then in a chard leaf and dipped it in a sauce made of Bragg’s, tahini and grated ginger. It was amazing! I was shocked.

I love Gina’s raw food site and read it pretty much every day for inspiration. I’m not on a raw diet, but I have treid a few meals and find I always feel extra “springy” after indulging in one of her recipes! Instead of feeling like settling into the couch, raw dinner makes me feel like running another lap!!!
There is one recipe on her website for “raw middle eastern rice” made with cauliflower. You also wrap this “rice” in chard leaves. It is AWESOME. As a side note – The raisins in the rice are what **makes** it!
As for wrapping, I find it’s much easier to take the largest leaves and cut out the vein altogether, cutting the “soft” part of the leaf into palm sized sections (Say, divinding each side of a large leaf into two peices). Then I serve it up with the “rice” (or other filling) in a bowl and the torn up leaves on a plate to the side. I use the leaves sort of like injera when you are eating Ethiopian food – As a utensil to scoop up smaller spoonfuls of the filling. Easier than trying to create a burrito style wrap!!!
YUMMY!

I’ve been experimenting with raw recipes for the past few months. I really love the ones that Ani Phyo creates.
Two favorites are
Pad Thai Noodles in Almond Kaffir Sauce from her book Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen
and
Tomato Chili with Taco Nut Meat from her new book Ani’s Raw Food Essentials
Here’s a YouTube video of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_m9PNr_iGE

Heat oil in a large pot over med. heat. Stir in onion and garlic, saute for 5 min. until onion is tender. Mix in quinoa, lentils, mushrooms, and broth. Cover and simmer 20 min; remove from heat. Gently mix chard into pot; cover and let stand 5 min or until chard is wilted. Stir in cranberries and dressing. Chill at least one hour to allow flavors to blend.

Oooooh your new baby is GORGEOUS!!!! I’m happy to see someone that loves kitchen gadgets as much as I do. (Although I can’t say that I have many in the Vitamix price range!!) I see many delicious green monsters and other blended goods in your future!

As far as recipe experiments go, most of the recipes on my blog were experiments! It sounds nerdy, but for fun I like to find recipes, ‘clean’ them up, then test em out. I’m proud to report there haven’t been too many disasters so far!

Ok I love raw food. I don’t have a dehydrator so I can’t make anything dehydrated. *Tear*. Anyways, I can’t wait to try the tune wrap. Yummy. But here is my favorite raw recipe by Ani Phyo, enjoy!
TOMATO CHILI

I have tried collard green wraps at a raw food restaurant and they were AMAZING! I tried to make it at home and it was the bitterest thing I ever put into my mouth. I have no clue what I did wrong, but I’d love to try it again sometime.

These wraps look amazing, I have to make these!
And I love chard too! I love all the greens–haven’t met a leafy green I dislike yet, I even like the totally bitter ones
I make a version of those Green Monster shakes with them (sort of) and I also make enormous salads out of them, topped with vegan dressing, vegan parmesan and vegan feta (I buy vegan parm/feta from Whole Foods, haven’t made my own yet]

Hi Angela, just thought I would mention that Gena’s website is now called “The Full Helping”. Since I recently started reading her blog and receiving her emails (love her!), I know that it’s a name change that was/is quite meaningful to her so I thought you might want to know about it (since you reference “Choosing Raw” in your text here).